


Through a Dogs Eyes

by AKnightOfWren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animals, Ben is dry AF, Chewie is a cinnamon roll, Dogs, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Mechanic Rey, Romance, Slow Burn, Vet, Veterinary Clinic, Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Surgeon Ben
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:57:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14563503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfWren/pseuds/AKnightOfWren
Summary: Until one loves an animal, a part of ones soul remains unawakened.Veterinary Surgeon Ben has been alone most of his life, only opening up to the animals he meets in his surgery. That is, until he meets the mysterious Rey and her dog, Chewie. A series of meetings between the two result in the pair growing closer, where they begin to realize that they are quite similar, each wishing for more than just their dogs for company.





	Through a Dogs Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/gifts), [AlbaStarGazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaStarGazer/gifts).



> Thanks to the wonderful [LoveOfEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveOfEscapism) and [AlbaStarGazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaStarGazer%E2%80%9D%20rel=) for helping me to nurture this idea, this is for you! This is my first fic, so be gentle!

If there is one thing Ben Solo hates more than Mondays, it is being rudely awoken at 5am on a Monday morning by a phone call when he still had at least two hours of sleep left.

  
Strange, he thinks to himself as he sits up and switches the bedside light on, he cannot remember the last time someone rang his landline. The shrill ring of the usually silent phone continues to pierce the silence of the early morning. He reaches forwards quickly to pick up the phone.  
  
“Hello?” he asks blearily as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.  
  
“Ben? Did I wake you?” He hears the unwelcome voice of his mother from the other end of the phone.  
  
He sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to remind himself his mother must have a good reason for calling so early in the morning.  
  
“Yes, Mom. Normal people are usually still sleeping at this time in the morning and since I don’t work on Mondays, which you are well aware of, I was hoping to have a lie in. What do you want?” he replies flatly.  
  
“I’m sorry, dear. I had hoped you may have been already awake,” she says softly. “I’m afraid I’ve caught the flu from your father and I will have to take today off from the practice. I know what you’re about to ask and Poe is already operating this morning, so I was hoping I could convince you to take on my appointments for the day?”  
  
“I don’t know, Mom,” he pauses to switch to his other ear. “I –“  
  
“You know I wouldn’t ask if it was not important, Ben. I do not like to cancel and reschedule appointments if there is another way, and currently there is one,” Leia urged tiredly.

He could tell his mother was not her usual positive self. For as long as he could remember, his mother had rarely taken days off from the family-owned Veterinary Practice for anything, not even for his own graduation from the esteemed Royal Veterinary College several years ago. Even when he was a child, rather than his mother taking a day off of work on the days Ben was unwell or he could not be cared for by someone else, she would take him to the practice with her and he would sit with his uncle Luke while his mother worked instead. It was during these times that Ben first began to develop a love for the animals he spent his time surrounded by. They were there when his family was not. Ben remembers the first animal that really stole a piece of his heart. His name was Kylo, a big, black bear of a dog with a long scar bisecting the left side of his face. Kylo was abandoned at the practice one winter’s day in a bad way. His mother suspected he was used in dog fights due to the different wounds over his body. Kylo quickly became very attached to Ben during his time at the practice. Wherever Ben went, Kylo would follow. They both helped the other come out of their shell, complimenting each other’s introverted nature. The death of Kylo hit Ben really hard and it took everything in him not to go back to the small, frightened boy he used to be.  
  
Deep down, Ben realized that his mother must be feeling terrible if she was willing to take some time off for this and he sighed.  
  
“Okay, Mom. I’ll do it,” he says as he rubs his eyes for what feels like the hundredth time. He’s going to need a lot of coffee if he’s going to get through today unscathed.  
  
“Thank you, Ben. I appreciate it,” she paused to clear her throat. “You have the keys to the practice, but I will make sure Luke unlocks my office, so you can get to my notes.”  
  
He hangs up after making sure his mother had everything she needed at home to recover. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep now, not if he wanted to get everything sorted and prepared before making it to the practice in time for it opening.  
  
Stretching, he got up and padded out of his room and down to the kitchen to start the coffee machine. It was going to be a long day. As he entered, he became aware of a small, black body bounding up to him excitedly.

“Good morning, Kira,” Ben smiles down to her as he goes to stroke behind her ears lovingly. “Hows my girl?” Kira whined and lifted a paw in the form of a greeting.“Okay, just let me get ready and we’ll head out for a walk,” Ben laughs.

 

**********************************************************************************************************

 

“Chewie, NO!” Rey shouts as she sprints after him through the thick bushes of the local recreational ground. She couldn’t help but think she is the worst dog owner in the world, that she should never have been trusted with him in the first place. Her legs are trembling as she carries on chasing after him.

“CHEWIE, come back here!” she shouts as she just about stops a sob from passing her lips. She can’t see him anymore, she can’t hear him and feels sick to her stomach. She can feel her heart racing, combine with her head spinning leaves her spiralling in a fit of panic. What if she loses him?

Rey’s day had started as every day starts. She gets up, gets herself her medication out of the box in her drawer and takes it with a glass of water as Chewie eats his breakfast. Then they go for a long run through the local recreational ground and the woods surrounding them. Once their walk was over, she would take Chewie home and then get ready for work. She is a creature of habit. They both are.

Rey had moved out of her foster home only a year prior. After growing up in foster care until the young age of eighteen, she wanted a place to call her own. Somewhere she felt safe and secure. Growing up in the care system was not easy for Rey. She fought for everything she got. In the home of Unkar Plutt, Rey had to scavenge for every scrap of food, every piece of second hand clothing. _Everything_. But she finally made it. As soon as her birthday arrived, she used every bit of money she had saved and she immediately found her own place. It wasn’t much, but it was home. Rey had always wanted a pet. From a young age Rey, had found an affinity with animals. She felt that they were more trustworthy than humans. What you saw was what you got; there were no motives, no hidden agenda. The animals certainly never broke her trust or abused her. As soon as she was settled, she searched every local shelter until she found the perfect companion. This was how she found her Chewie. Chewie was the most beautiful, gentle giant she had ever laid her eyes on. The perfect mixture of long, black and brown fur with the brightest amber eyes that didn’t fail to melt her heart. Chewie was nervous, he had rough start in life, like Rey had. So, she visited him every single day for a full month until the day arrived that Chewie thawed to her. In time, they had the most unbreakable bond. Chewie was her everything, and she was his. He provides her with the comfort and protection she has never had in life.

Which led her to this; standing in the middle of the undergrowth, breathing heavily and shaking as her body wracked with sobs. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to her faithful friend. Chewie had taken an instant dislike to a man walking nearby and was startled when the man in question shouted to a person in the distance, resulting in Chewie darting off in the opposite direction. The shelter believed Chewie was mistreated in a previous home, most likely by a man given his strong negative reaction whenever approached by one. Even Rey’s best friend Finn could not get close to him.

Suddenly, she heard a yelp and a cry. Rey sprinted in the direction of the noise, finally coming across a frantic, trembling Chewie, who came limping towards her with his paw raised.

“Oh, you silly boy. What’s happened?” she cooed as she ran to him, slowly kneeling down as she takes his paw and checks it over. Chewie cries again and licks his muzzle, panting gently as she lets go. The cry tugs at her heart and she leans forward to give him a cuddle and kisses his head gently. “Don’t worry,” she says, “I know what to do.”

Rey gets out her phone and dials the first person she thinks of.

“Peanut, how are you? Is everything okay?” she hears the reassuring voice of her best friend, Finn, answer from the other end.

“Finn, something's happened to Chewie. He ran off and he’s hurt his paw. I don’t know what to do. He’s too heavy to lift and I’m scared he’s really injured himself!”

“Rey, calm down and breathe. Okay? Where are you?” he asks softly, hoping he can help his friend in any way possible .

“We’re at the recreational ground,” she replies quickly.

“Okay, well that’s about ten minutes walk from Alderaan's Ark. I can make you an appointment to come in this morning and have him checked out, alright?”

“Thank you,” she sniffs. “Do you have any female vets? Chewie won’t let anyone touch him otherwise.”

“Of course,” he replies. “Leia is in this morning, so I’m sure we can fit him in to see her. Can you be here within twenty minutes? We have an emergency appointment you can take.”

“Yes, I will try. Thank you, Finn.” Rey hangs up and puts her phone away while looking at Chewie with sad eyes. “Come here, Chew,” she mutters softly, clipping his lead on and slowly ushering him towards the clearing.

She sighs deeply and hopes that everything will be okay. He’s her best friend and she’ll be damned if she lets anything happen to him.

 

*********************************************************************************************************

 

“We will see Wicket back in a few days, Ms. Holdo,” Ben says as he gives the little corgi in question a rub behind the ears. “I’m hoping the antibiotics will be enough to clear up the infection, but if you’re concerned then you’re more than welcome to give us a call back and we’ll get him in as soon as we can. In the meantime, if you see Jessika or Gwen at the front desk they can book you in for an appointment on Thursday.”

“Thank you, Ben. I’ll be in touch,” Ms. Holdo replies with a smile as she clips the lead onto Wicket and picks him up.

Ben nods as she leaves, closing the door behind her. He sighs as he turns to pick up the bottle of disinfectant and begins to wipe down the examination table ready for the next patient. The day is dragging on slowly.

A knock sounds and he looks up to find Finn, one of the practice’s veterinary nurses peering around the door.

“Ben?” he asks tentatively.

“What’s up?” Ben requests  as he turns to the computer on the counter behind him.

“We’ve got an emergency appointment coming in about fifteen minutes. It is a friend of mine and her dog,” he supplies.

“Alright,” says Ben as he looks around at Finn. “What do you need me to do?”

“So, Chewie, her dog, is fairly aggressive, so I just thought I should warn you. He’s especially reactive to men,” Finn mentions nervously. “They’re expecting Leia, but I’ve only just heard she’s not here.”

Ben sighs, wondering about the backstory of the dog he’s about to meet. “Okay, can you get me a muzzle and ask Rose to escort them in if I go to meet the owner? I’ll read up on the notes while I’m waiting.”

“Yes, of course,” he replies as he goes to the adjoined preparation room to gather the supplies needed.

 

*********************************************************************************************************

 

Rey and Chewie arrive at Alderaan's Ark with a few minutes to spare. They walk in slowly and Rey presses the bell on the unattended desk.

A few seconds later, Jessika, one of the receptionists, emerges  from the back room.

“Hello! Are you signing in?” she asks, greeting them with a smile.

“Yes,” Rey smiles shyly back. “Chewie Kenobi.”

“ReyRey!” Rey hears a familiar, chirpy voice as she turns to see Rose, a veterinary nursing student and another good friend of hers, appearing from the doorway beside the desk. “How’s the big boy doing?” she asks, peering at Chewie.

“He’s okay, quieter than usual and still limping,” Rey answers meekly while stroking Chewie softly.

“Miss Kenobi?” Rey jumps as she hears a deep, velvety voice behind her.

“Yes?”

She turns to seek out the owner of the voice to find a tall, dark haired man with a distinctively large nose in blue scrubs looking back at her. She feels like her heart has just fallen out of her ass. “You’re not female,” she stutters loudly, wanting to slap herself for pointing out the obvious.

“Well spotted. I’m glad you are familiar with human anatomy,” he bristles.

“I was expecting Leia,” Rey replies sharply, narrowing her eyes. She’s worrying about Chewie and how he will react to this man.

“Sorry to disappoint. I’m afraid my mother has had to take today off,” he replies looking at her feet.

Mother? She thinks. “Oh, okay. Well...Chewie doesn’t like men. He’s a rescue,” Rey tells him, she hopes that he will understand Chewie’s reason for being aggressive.

“Well,” he says, “I’m going to ask Rose to bring you both into the consultation room and we can see what we can do to help.”

“Okay,” Rey agrees as she pats Chewie.

Chewie looks up at his Mom fondly, nuzzling her hand softly. He licks her palm, a silent reassurance.

Ben nods and turns back towards the consultation room to prepare. He feels captivated by her eyes. He can’t help but think of her and Chewie as chalk and cheese, not expecting such a small person to have such a large dog, but also thinking he can’t imagine her with any other animal.

Five minutes later, Rose appears to escort Rey and Chewie into the consultation room. They walk through the door to find Ben kneeling on the floor surrounded by various veterinary instruments that he may need when accessing Chewie’s condition.

“You’re on the floor,” Rey comments, she observes him with her eyebrows raised. Rose enters behind her and closes the door. She can’t help but think he looks ridiculous, folding himself up on the floor.

“You’re very observant,” Ben retorts as he runs his fingers through his dark wavy hair.

If he wasn’t so sarcastic, he’d be beautiful she thinks.

Okay, where did that come from? She thinks to herself, her mouth growing dry.

“Anyway,” he says,“I’m on the floor because this is less threatening to him. I’m not making eye contact as I don’t want to appear intimidating,” he tells her.

“Hi Chewie,” he says softly as he slowly offers his hand to the dog. He understands the delicacy and care required when treating animals with behavioral issues, he is patient with Chewie.

“Don’t he migh-“ Rey rushes to tell Ben, in fear he may upset Chewie. However, to Rey’s surprise, Chewie stretches his muzzle out towards Ben and sniffs curiously.

Ben and Rey both gasp suddenly as Chewie pushes his head forward into Ben’s outstretched hand, nuzzling and softly licking it. Ben slowly raises his other hand to gently stroke Chewie’s head and scratch behind his ears, just how he likes it.

Rey is staring in astonishment as the broad and brash stranger that they had only just met instantly bonds with her dog. Something that had initially taken her a month to accomplish. It didn’t seem real. Ben is something special, she deduces.

“He has never done that before,” Rey says quietly, her voice conveying just how surprised she is currently feeling. It is overwhelming to her.She looks over at Ben, his hard eyes soften as he watches Chewie in amazement, she can’t help it when her heart starts to beat rapidly in response to both of their reactions.

Ben hums as he continues to stroke Chewie. “He is a gorgeous dog. His eyes tell such a beautiful story.” Ben looks up and meets Rey’s eyes. He can’t help but wonder what her story is. They share a brief, heated gaze and she looks away quickly.

“Alright,” he says awkwardly, “I am going to start now. I will work slowly so I don’t spook him. It would also help if you keep him occupied, Rey. Keep stroking him,” he commands with ease as he begins to check Chewie over.

He starts with his observations and works his way down to his physical, all the while taking notes to ensure he doesn’t miss anything. Ben puts on his stethoscope and listens to Chewie’s heart. “Alright,” he starts, “his initial observations and vitals are perfect, there’s nothing to be concerned about there.” He starts to raise  the injured paw and Chewie whines loudly in response, but allows Ben to continue his examination. He proceeds to manipulate and move it around. He is careful in his workings.

“It looks like it is  just a strain, Rey,” Ben says, he is relieved that it is nothing too serious. “I can’t find anything abnormal about it that would warrant an x-ray, but it’s obviously causing him a little bit of pain. I’m going to give him a painkilling injection and give you a week’s worth of Metacam. Only use it if you deem it absolutely necessary and if he seems like he is in pain. Look out for him raising his paw more than he normally does, licking his muzzle or just general disinterest from his usual activities. Just put the medication in with his food and he shouldn’t notice it. We will weigh him before you leave so we can calculate the correct and appropriate dosage. Make sure he rests and maybe for the next day or so, only take him on lead walks, do not  let him run. Does that sound okay?” He looks at her as he finishes giving out his instructions. He is satisfied with his assessment

“Yes, that’s fine,” Rey replies confidently. “I am relieved it is nothing too serious.”

Ben nods and his lip curls upwards briefly. Rose leads Chewie to the scales in the corner so they can calculate the dosage of his medication whilst Ben prepares the injection. Rey takes the time to properly observe Ben. His gorgeous, soft-looking hair is alluring and makes her want to run her hands through it. She notices he isn’t exactly good looking in the conventional way, but he is still very handsome in his own special way, he is unique.

Once he is done, Ben tells her they are free to leave but asks her to make a follow up appointment for a few days later so he can evaluate the healing of the strain. She agrees, clips on Chewie’s lead and heads to the reception to pay the bill.

Rey waves goodbye to everyone and leaves with Chewie by her side and Ben Solo on her mind.

When Rey and Chewie leave, Ben continues his routine of disinfecting the instruments he used on Chewie.

He can’t stop thinking about her beautiful, warm hazel eyes that seemed to be able to see into his soul. He finds himself scrolling through the diary on his computer looking for when her next appointment is booked, hoping that he’ll be the one taking it. Strangely, he finds himself looking forward to seeing her again. He can’t help but want to know more about her. He shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the memory of her eyes as he works.

 

**********************************************************************************************************

 

A few days later, Rey notices a significant improvement in Chewie. He has gone back to charging around the house and is currently carrying a squeaky porg around in his mouth, parading his toy around the house.

“Chewie!” Rey calls as she walks to the front door. “Let's go for a walk!”

She clips his lead on, grabs her keys and her jacket and they leave, heading for the recreational ground. It is a beautiful day and Rey is grateful that she has the day off to spend with Chewie. She decides that he deserves a little run around and unclips his lead.

As she's walking, she feels her phone vibrating in her pocket. While she strolls, she decides to text Finn to thank him for helping her the day before. She briefly looks up to find Chewie playing with another dog and begins to walk over to them. As she does, the other dog walks towards her, tail wagging and eager for a scratch behind the ear.

“Hello, you are so beautiful, aren’t you? What is your name?” She asks as she strokes the black labrador softly.

“Kira!” She hears a voice call from someone walking towards them in the distance. Hang on, she thinks, I know that voice. But where from? As he gets closer, his voice becomes clearer. “Kira! I hope you’re not mugging people for treats,” the smooth voice says. She feels a nudge on her hand and looks down to see Kira looking up at her and she strokes her head and smiles, offering a chin rub.

“Hi, Rey.”

She looks up in response to see none other than Ben Solo towering over her.

“She was not bothering you, was she?” he asks. He looks different in comparison  to yesterday, he is sporting his everyday clothes instead of his scrubs. She realizes that he is a lot bigger now that he is so close to her.

“No, not at all!” Rey replies quickly. “She was just saying hello. But it seems like she’s more interested in Chewie than she is me.” She looks at the two dogs chasing each other around the field.

“That is a first. Usually she is trying to steal treats out of people’s pockets,” Ben huffs next to her.

“How is Chewie doing?” He asks and looks towards the dogs.

“He's fine, good. His paw seems much better today and after his medication, it is like nothing has happened,” she replies. Chewie, as if he heard his name mentioned, looks up at the pair inquisitively.

He is very protective over you, isn’t he?” Ben questions as his gaze falls upon the dogs once more.  

“He is,” she replies. “He has been ever since I adopted him. Do you believe in fate, Ben?” she asks him.

“I don’t believe in fate as such,” Ben responds, “but I do believe that things happen for a reason.”

“When I adopted Chewie, I was fresh out of the foster care system,” Rey tells him. I had never experienced the safety net having a family provides. It was always me against the world... and then I met Chewie,” she says softly. “He has been through the same things I have experienced when I was growing up. We are kindred spirits.”

Ben looked over at her tentatively, his eyes tracing the freckles dotted about her face. He feels like reaching out to her when he notices the way her eyes soften and light up when she talks about her bond with Chewie. He could feel the warmth pool in his stomach and his heart instantly speeds up.

“He’s so intuitive. He knows when I’m struggling and finding things hard. I think he reads me so much more personally than any other human I know,” she tells him truthfully.

Ben offers a small smile, he could relate to what she was saying, he feels the exact same way.

“Animals are amazing. They have the ability to heal in more ways than one. That is one reason why I chose to work with them for a living. To me, it’s not a job. The animals in my life have given back more than anyone would think possible. They were there for me in a time when no one else was, family included. I was a very lonely kid. My parents worked all the time, I barely saw them. And when I did see them, no one really noticed how much I was struggling…except the animals,” he sighs, opening up to Rey the same way she had to him. It felt good, it felt right.

Rey gazes up at him and is suddenly hit with the realization that there is more to Ben Solo than meets the eye. She is starting to see through the mask that is the dry wit and the sarcasm. In its place, she is left with a lonely, sad boy. She could relate to him, she felt the exact same. They had both used animals as their refuge when no one else wanted them.

“Chewie gave me the family I had always wanted. He protects me, supports me and keeps me company. I do not feel so alone anymore,” she tells him quietly, staring off into the distance, eyes shiny.

“You’re not alone,” he replies, looking her straight in the eye and moves within touching distance.

Rey smiles shyly in return, looking up at him as she replies,  “Neither are you.”

They looked back to the dogs, who were still chasing each other around, enjoying each other’s company just as much as their owners were.

Rey looks at her phone as she notices the time, “I should probably go,” she tells him. “I have  work in an hour.”

“Sure.” Ben nods as he gives her a nervous smile. “I will see you around.”

“Chewie!” she calls, “time to go!”.

Chewie pads over and sits in front of her patiently, waiting for her to clip his lead on. As she does, she turns to face Ben. “I will see you Friday.”

“Friday?” He asks, confused. He knew he wanted to see her again, even the thought of it made him excited.

“Chewie’s follow up appointment,” she grins and notices the realization wash over his face.

“Ah,” he says. “Of course. Yes, I will see you Friday.”

Rey nods in response and gives Kira another stroke before she waves at Ben and departs. Rey tries not to notice the butterflies floating around her stomach as she feels his eyes watching her as she walks away. Friday couldn’t come quick enough.

 

**********************************************************************************************************

 


End file.
